The top seven songs of the week, performed by a cast of regulars in a countdown format that featured production numbers and was sponsored (as it had been on radio since 1935) by Lucky Strike cigarettes. Never a Top 10 hit itself (the best it could do was N (more…)The top seven songs of the week, performed by a cast of regulars in a countdown format that featured production numbers and was sponsored (as it had been on radio since 1935) by Lucky Strike cigarettes. Never a Top 10 hit itself (the best it could do was No. 15 in 1954-55), `Parade' fell victim to the rise of rock and roll in the middle '50s, and ratings sank. In a brief 1974 revival, '40s and '50s songs were sprinkled into its countdown as a nostalgia gimmick.

Premise: The top seven songs of the week, performed by a cast of regulars in a countdown format that featured production numbers and was sponsored (as it had been on radio since 1935) by Lucky Strike cigarettes. Never a Top 10 hit itself (the best it could do was N… (more)